Manicure implement



Oct. 20, 1942. A. HUNTER -rAL 2,299,627

MANICURE IMPLEMEN'I Filed Jan. 1B, 1941 6 JQ@ 220,10@ @Qi-Tr 1803101501720w ,46 lV INVENTORS Anna Haner Patented Oct. 20, 1942-- MANICUREIMPLEMENT Anna Hunter, New York, N. Y., and Angelo De Stefano, Bogota,N. J., assignors vto Taylor- Freeman-Stanley,

Incorporated, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New yYork Application January 18, 1941, SerialNo.v 374,988

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to manicure appliances, and moreparticularly to an instrument for applying a liquid preparation to thenails for cuticle removing operations.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a manicureappliance of the type referred to, which is of maximum capacity and ofminimum bulk, which is made of a minimum number of parts, which iscapable of easy and expeditious assembly or disassembly, which is easilycontrollable to effect liquid flow therefrom in small regulatedquantities, which is constructed to reduce to a minimum the possibilityof leakage therefrom, which has 'its parts so constructed and assembledas to eliminate the possibility of its parts becoming loose or beinglost, which is constructed and designed for handy and convenientmanipulation, which lends itself easily to manufacture from plasticmaterial, and which meets the requirements of economical manufacture.

Various other objects of the .invention will be apparent from thefollowing particular description, and from an inspection of theaccompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal enlarged section of one form of manicureimplement, embodying the present invention, and shown with its liquidapplicator in closed position to bar now of cuticle showing its liquidapplicator in open position to effect flow of liquid therefrom,

Fig. 3 isa transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l,

Fig. V4 is a perspective of the applicator of Fig. l,

. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal enlarged section of another form of manicureimplement embodying the present invention,

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

of glass or other suitable transparent material 55 so as to affordvisual. inspection of the liquid contents thereof.

The sleeve Il is desirably made of suitable plastic material, and isprovided with a forwardly tapering section ,l3, an external collar i4'desirably knurled or otherwise ornamnted to afford a firm finger grip inthe manipulation of the shipment, and an externallythreaded rear sectionl5 of reduced diameter. The v'forward open end section of the barreli2is`jinternally threaded and is screwed over the threaded sleevesection l5 and against the collarv i4'. A washer I1 of suitablesealingmaterial such as rubber may be clamped between the collar M and theforward end of the barrel I2.

The sleeve il is provided with a cylindrical bore or cavity I8 along itsforward section for slidably receiving the applicator l, and a bore `orcavity 20 of larger diameter along its rear section in opencommunication at all'times with the liquid contents of the barrel l2. y

The applicator l0 is desirably made of plastic material, and is providedwith an intermediate cylindrical section 2i, having a snug slide sealing:i'lt in the sleeve bore I8, and a tip section 22, projecting outwardlyand forwardly beyond the sleeve il. This tip 22 is longitudinally curvedas shown, and is provided with a slightly concave bevel 23 to form acomparatively sharp edge 24. In this form, the tip 22 can accommodateitself to the curvature of the nail being treated, and can easily reachthe corners and recesses of the nail. The tip 22 can also be easilypried underneath the cuticles after they have been softened by theliquidpreparation, and can be effectively used to push these cuticles back.

'I'he applicator slide section 2l is provided with a capillary channelor groove 26, extending longitudinally along one side thereof, andserving as part of the feed duct for the cuticle treating.

liquid. This groove 26 terminates at its forward end substantially nearthe rear end of the tip bevel 23, and at its rear end communicates withatransverse groove 21 formed in the cylindrical slide section 2| of theapplicator.

Formed near the rear end of the applicator I0 is an enlarged cylindricalhead 30, having a conical valve section 3| adapted to engage acorresponding conical valve seat 32 at the forward end of the applicatorbore 20.

The applicator valve head 30 is normally urged forwardly against itsseat 32 in the position shown in Fig. 1, to prevent outward flow ofliquid from the applicator while the implement is not in use or whilethe applicator tip 22 is operating on the cuticle., For that purpose, acoil spring 34 is housed in the bore 20 with one end thereof bearingagainst the valve head 30, while the other end bears against abutments35 rigid with the sleeve II.v These abutments may be in the form ofradially inwardly extending spaced lugs, formed integrally at the rearend of the sleeve II, or may be in the form of a washer, press-fittedinto position after the spring 34 has been inserted in the sleeve.

In assembly operation, the spring 34 may be sprung past the abut-ments35 for insertion in the sleeve I3, or may be screwed in position pastthese abutments.

In order to center the spring 34 in its contracting and expandingmovement, and at the same time hold the applicator I against transversespring pressure tending to bind or seize said applicator against slidemovementl in thel sleeve II, the rear end of said applicator beyond itsvalve head 30 is axially provided with a reduced stud 36, extending intosaid spring. The spring 34 tapers forwardly towards this stud 36. Tofurther assist .in this spring centering operation, the bore desirablytapers forwardly, so that the spring 34 is confined against transversetilting while it is expanding or contracting.

When the implement is not in use, the spring 34 will urge the applicatorI0 forwardly in the valve closed position shown in Fig. 1 with the feedpassages 26 and 2I out of communication with the liquid in the bore 20.The implement is held in the hand like an ordinary pencil, and whenpressure is applied to the applicator tip 22 as for instance by pressingsaid tip against the nail to be treated, the applicator III) will bepushed inwardly in= the sleeve II as shown in Fig. 2 against the actionof the spring 34 until the transverse groove 21 extends in the bore 20,and is consequently in communication with the liquid therein. Due to theplunger action of the applicator I 0 inwardly towards the barrel I2, adrop of the liquid will be forced out through the grooves 26 and 2l andonto the nail being treated. Due to the fact that the groove 26 is verysmall in cross-section, no further liquid will iiow out through thisgroove, even though the In the form of implement shown in Figs.5 to 8,the barrel I2a has a main transparent section 40, and an ornamental cap4I, pressfitted or otherwise attached to the rear end of vsaid barrel,and desirably made of colored plastic material to afford decorativecontrast with said main barrel section, and to attractively blend withthe other plastic parts at the forward section of the implement. At theforward end, the barrel I2a islthreaded over the rear section I5a of theplastic stock or sleeve II a, and bears against the shoulder I 4a ofsaid sleeve through the lnterposition of the sealing ring I'Ia.

The sleeve IIa is desirably formed near its forward end with a reducedthreaded section 42 for receiving a plastic protective cap 43 over thetip 22a of the applicator I0 when the implement is not in use.

'I'he plastic applicator Ia has its tip 22a substantially the same asthat in the construction of Figs. 1 to 4, and has an intermediatecylindrical section 2Ia with a snug slide sealing fit in the cylindricalbore I8a of the sleeve IIa, a valve head section 30a operable in theenlarged sleeve bore 20a, and a rear valve stem section 36a. 'Ihe valvehead 30a has a conical. seating section 3Ia adapted to engage a conicalseat 32a at the forward end of the applicator bore 20a.

The feed passages in the applicator Ia are formed by an axial capillaryhole 26a and a transverse groove 21a forwardly beyond the valve head30a.'

For urging the applicator Illa. forwardly in closed valve seatingposition shown in Fig. 5. a cylindrical coil spring 34a encircles thevalve stem 36a, and bears at one end vagainst the valve head 30a, and atthe other end against a washer 45 encircling said valve stem. Thiswasher 45 applicator may still be in the valve open position shown inFig. 2. An additional drop of the liquid can only be dispensed byreleasing the applicator I0 and repeating its inward plunger action. g

It should be noted that the applicator I0 can only be removed from thesleeve II- through the rear open end thereof, so that there is nopossibility of this applicator becoming accidentally separated from theassembly as long as the barrel I2 is fastened to said sleeve. It shouldalso be noted that the feed passages 26 and 2I are cut off from theliquid in the barrel I2 when the implement is not in use or when theapplicator tip 22 is operating on the cuticle, so that leakage throughthese passages during such periods is obviated.

The spring 34 is powerful enough to hold the applicator tip 22 intoextreme outward position against accidental withdrawal into sleeve II,while this tip is being used to spread the drop of liquid previouslydispensed on the nail or while it is being used to force the cuticleback. At the same time, the spring 34 is Weak enough to permit liquidfeeding slide movement of the applicator upon application of nailpressure thereto, without the necessity. of digging into the-nail orotherwise injuring or marring it.

bears against a transverse pin`46 diametrically xed to the sleeve IIa,and passing loosely through a diametrical slot 4I`in the valve stem 36a.'I'his slot ,41 permits axial movement of the applicator Illa withoutinterference from the pin 46.

The operation of the implement of Figs. 5 to 8 is similar to that ofFigs. 1 to 4. When the applicator Illa is pushed inwardly from theposition shown in Fig. 5 to effect communication of the transverse feedpassage 21a. with theV liquid in the sleeve bore 20a, a sole drop of theliquid is forced out through the lapplicator tip 22a. When nail pressureon the applicator 22a is released, the applicator Illa returns to theclosed position shown in Fig. 5 under the action of the spring 34a.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A manicure appliance including a reservoir barrel for a liquidpreparation, a one-piece sleeve secured to the forward end of saidbarrel and internally provided with a rearwardly facing seat, anapplicator slidable in said sleeve and projecting forwardly therefrom,said applicator having a feed duct from which reservoir liquid isdispensed, and having a shoulder member adapted to engage said seat tolimit forward movement of said applicator, and means for controlling theiiow of liquid through said` feed duct in accordancen with the slidemovement of said applicator in said sleeve.

2. A manicure appliance including a reservoir barrel for a liquidpreparation, a one-piece sleeve secured to the forward end of saidbarrel, and provided with a bore extending lengthwise thereof to itsforward end, and a larger bore near its rear end, said sleeve beingprovided with a rearwardly facing seat, an applicator having a sectionwith a snug slide sealing fit in said .first-mentioned sleeve bore, andan enlarged head in said second-mentioned sleeve bore adapted to engagesaid seat in limiting forward position of said applicator, saidapplicator havng a feed duct from which reservoir liquid is dispensed,and means for controlling the iiow of liquid through said duct inaccordance with the slide position of said applicator.

3. A manicure appliance including a barrel for liquid preparation, asleeve secured to the forward end of said barrel, and having acylindrical bore extending to the forward end thereof, and an enlargedbore to the rear of said cylindrical bore, said bores defining arearwardly facing seat therebetween, an applicator having a cylindricalsection with a snug slide sealing fit in said cylindrical bore, andhaving a head adapted to engage said seat to limit outward slidemovement of said applicator, said applicator having a feed duct fordispensing liquid therethrough, and valve means for controlling flow ofliquid through said feed duct in accordance with the slide position ofsaid -applicator.`

4. A manicure appliance including a barrel for a liquid preparation, asleeve secured to the forward end of said barrel, and having a guidebore along 'a section thereof, an applicator having a snug slide sealingfit in said guide bore, and having a feed duct from which liquid fromsaid barvrel is dispensed, means for normally urging said applicatorforwardly from said sleeve, means for limiting the forward position ofsaid applicator, said feed duct terminating at its rear end forwardly ofthe rear end of said guide bore whensaid applicator is in its'forwardlimiting position, whereby said feed duct is cut off from communicationwith the liquid from said barrel, said feed duct being in communicationwith the liquid in said barrel when said applicator is moved rearwardlyin its sleeve.

5. A manicure appliance including a reservoir for a liquid preparation,a sleeve secured to said reservoir, and having a guide bore, anapplicator having a longitudinal section with a snug slide -sealing fitin said guide bore, said applicator section being provided with apassage extending lengthwise thereof, and a transverse groove at therear' end of said passage and in communication with said passage, saidgroove forming with said passage a feed duct for said liquidpreparation, spring means normally urging said applicator forwardly fromsaid sleeve, and means for limiting the forward position of saidapplicator in said sleeve, said applicator in said forward limitedposition having said transverse groove spaced forwardly from the rearend of said guide bore. whereby said feed duct is out of communicationwith the reservoir liquid, said transverse groove being in communicationwith the reservoir liquid when said applicator is moved inwardly toeffect feeding of the liquid through said duct.

6. A manicure appliance including a reservoir for a liquid preparation,a sleeve secured to said reservoir, and having a valve seat, anapplicator slidable in said sleeve and provided withra liquid dispensingfeed duct, a valve member rigid with said applicator, and disposedrearwardly beyond said duct, said valve member being adapted to engagesaid seat to cut oif communication between said duct and the liquid insaid reservoir, and to limit outwardv slidable movement of saidapplicator in said sleeve. and means for establishing communicationbetween said duct and the liquid in said reservoir when said applicatorhas been moved inwardly in said sleeve beyond a predetermined slideposition, and vsaid valve member has .been unseated.

7. A manicure appliance including a barrel serving as a reservoir for aliquid preparation, a sleeve secured to the forward end of said barrel,and having a slide .borealong the forward section thereof, and anenlarged bore along the rear thereof in constant communication with theliquid in -said barrel, said sleeve presenting a rearwardly facing valveseat between said bores, an applicator having a longitudinal sectionextending with a snug slide sealing t in said slide bore, and having avalve head rearwardly beyond said longitudinal section adapted tosealably engage said valve seat, and a spring in said enlarged bore forurging -said applicator forwardly with said valve head againstsaid valveseat, said applicator having a liquid dispensing feed duct, the rear endof which terminates forwardly of said valve head, whereby said duct isout of communication with the liquid in the enlarged bore of said sleevewhen saidvalve head is in seating position, lsaid duct being adapted to'extend in said enlarged bore when said applicator is pushed inwardly todispense liquid through said duct.

8. A manicure appliance including a barrel Aserving as a reservoir for aliquid preparation,

tion with the liquid in said barrel, said sleeve presenting a rearwardlyfacing Vconical valve seat between said bores, an applicator having `alongitudinal cylindrical section extending with a snug slide sealing fitin said slide bore, and having a cylindrical valve head rearwardlybeyond said longitudinal section -with a conical seat section adapted tosealably engage said valve seat, and a spring in said enlarged borebearing against said valve head for urging said applicator forwardlywith said valve head against said valve seat, said applicator having aliquid dispensing feed duct, the rear engi of which .terminatesforwardly of said valve head, whereby said duct is out of communicationwith the liquid in the enlarged bore of said sleeve when said valve headis in seating position, said duct being adapted to extend in saidenlarged bore when said applicator is pushed inwardly to force liquidthrough said duct.

`9. A manicure appliance including a barrel serving as a reservoir for aliquid preparation, a sleeve secured to the forward end of said barrel,and having a slide bore along the forward section thereof, and anenlarged borev along the rear thereof in constant communication with theliquid in said barrel, said sleeve/,presenting a rearwardly facing valveseat between said bores, an applicator having a longitudinal sectionextending with a snug slide sealing t in said slide bore, and having avalve head rearwardly beyond said longitudinal section adapted tosealably engage said valve seat, and a spring in said yenlarged bore forurging said applicator forwardly with said valve head against said valveseat, said applicator having a passage extending longitudinally alongits forward section, and a transverse groove at the rear end of saidpassage communicating therewith and forming with said passage a liquiddispensing feed duct, said groove terminating forwardly of said valvehead. whereby said groove is out of communication with the liquid in theenlarged 'bore of said sleeve when said valve head is in seatingposition, said groove being adapted to extend in said enlarged bore whensaid applicator is pushed inwardly to dispense liquid through said duct.

10. A manicure appliance including a barrel serving as a reservoir for aliquid preparation, a sleeve secured to the forward end of said barrel,and having a slide bore along the forward section thereof, and anenlarged bore along the rear thereof in constant communication with theliquid in said barrel, said sleeve presenting a rearwardly facing valveseat between said bores, an applicator having a longitudinal sectionextending with a snug slide sealing t in said slide bore, and having avalve head rearwardly beyond said longitudinal section adapted tosealably engage said valve seat, and a spring in said enlarged Abore forurging said applicator forpense liquid through said duct.

1l. A manicure appliance including a barrel serving as a reservoir for aliquid preparation, a sleeve secured to the forward end of said barrel,and having a Slide bore along the forward section thereof, and anenlarged bore along the rear thereof in `constant communication with theliquid in said barrel, said sleeve presenting a rearwardly facing valveseat between said bores, an applicator having a longitudinal sectionextending with a snug slide sealing fit in said slide bore, and having avalve headrrearwardly beyond said longitudinal section adapted tosealably engage said valve seat, and a spring in said enlarged bore forurging said applicator forwardly with said valve head against said valveseat, said applicator having a central hole extending longitudinallyalong its forward section, and a transverse groove at the rear end ofsaid hole communicating therewith, and formingl with said hole a liquiddispensing duct, said groove terminating forwardly of said valve head,whereby said `duct is out ofr communication with the liquid in theenlarged bore of said sleeve when said valve head is in Seatingposition, said groove being adapted to extend in said enlarged borewhensaid applicator is pushed inwardly to dispenseliquid through saidduct.

12. A manicure appliance including a reservoir for a liquid preparation,a. sleeve secured to said reservoir, and having a slide bore along theforward section thereof, and an enlarged bore along the rear' thereof inconstant communication with the liquid in said reservoir, an applicatorhaving a longitudinal section extending with a snug slide sealing fit insaid slide bore, a conical spring in said enlarged bore having itssmaller forward end bearing against the rear end of said applicator tourge said applicator forwardly in said sleeve, said applicator having aliquid dispensing feed duct, and means for controlling owvthrough saidduct in accordance with the slide position of said applicator.

13. A manicure appliance including a reservoir for a liquid preparation,a sleeve secured to said reservoir, and having a slide bore along theforward section thereof, and an enlarged bore along the rear thereof inconstant communication with the liquid in said reservoir, an applicatorhaving a longitudinal section extending with a snug slide sealing iit insaid slide'bore, and having a liquid dispensing feed duct, an abutmentrigid with and extending radially inwardly from the rear section of saidsleeve, a spring in said enlarged bore having one end bearing againstsaid applicator, and the other end bearing against said abutment, saidabutment permitting insertion of said spring in said bearing positionthrough the rear open end of said sleeve during assembly, and means forcontrolling the flow of liquid through said duct in accordance with theslide position of said applicator.

ANNA HUNTER. ANGELO DE STEFANO.

